The Khatri community, whose ancestors have been printing with Ajrakh blocks for centuries, migrated to Dhamadka, Kachchh from Sindh.  Ajrakh printing, a form of block printing on cloth, began as a localized art.  The Khatri community, whose name means “one who fills or changes colours,” printed with the locally available natural dyes and water from the Dhamadka, the river that gave their village its name. 

Ajrakh means both “keep it for today” and “like the blue night sky with stars sparkling in the darkness.” 

Traditionally, artisans used various combinations of about fifty hand carved ajrakh blocks to decorate clothes for men from the Sindhi pastoral communities living in their village and its surrounding area.  For the women in these communities, artisans printed malir fabrics that signified social and marital status.  Ajrakh has two meanings, one, “leave it for today” and another, “like the blue night sky with stars sparkling in the darkness.”  Kachchh ajrakh is distinguished by the use of traditionally designed blocks and four colours— red, black, blue and white.  Traditional ajrakh printing continues in craft villages such as Ajrakhpur and Dhamadka. 

Ajrakh block printing is a lengthy and demanding process consisting of several steps.  Tradition teaches that the longer an artisan waits before beginning the next step, the more eye-catching the final print will be.  The two-week printing process results in stunning printed cloth in traditional form.

For more information about Kachchh craft traditions, livelihoods,challenges and opportunities, read about KHAMIR's impact or hear craft stories from Kachchh artisans.